


Victoria

by anidalah



Series: Bad Things Happen Prompt Bingo - Nathan in the Dark Room [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Things Happen Bingo, I Have Your Loved One, M/M, the Jefferscott is only briefly mentioned and it is NOT healthy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25802557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anidalah/pseuds/anidalah
Summary: She loved him even with his many, many, many flaws - not in spite of them.
Relationships: Mark Jefferson/Nathan Prescott, Victoria Chase & Nathan Prescott
Series: Bad Things Happen Prompt Bingo - Nathan in the Dark Room [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1480541
Kudos: 9





	Victoria

Nathan was trembling as his phone dropped to the ground. He let it lie there on the floor, trying to steady his breathing. It would be no use for him to panic. The more he resisted the more his throat seemed to constrict, his vision blurring. He was fucked, that much was certain, but why did Victoria have to be dragged into all this?

Though at that point he didn't know the full scope of what Jefferson did while Nathan was put under, he still didn't want his friends to end up in the Dark Room. Not after what happened with Rachel. He fought Jefferson tooth and nail over making sure Victoria was never brought to that fucking bunker. Yet there on his burner phone, even with it's shit resolution, Victoria was unmistakably bound on the Dark Room floor. He hadn't the faintest idea of how to get her out safely but he needed to get to her quickly. He could feel the need gnawing at his stomach - she would get out of there safe and alive, even if he couldn't.

He'd never been the safest driver, as evidenced by his broken taillight, but his safety was low on the list of his priorities. Victoria was his everything, the only safety that he had. The only person he could be honest with about what went on in his head. The voices. The hallucinations. The crippling self-loathing. Though he did love Mark and some part of him still put a lot of trust in his mentor, Victoria was the only person he thought might actually love him unconditionally. She loved him even with his many, many, many flaws - not in spite of them.

The next part was a blur, another moment to add to the list of times where his mind was far from his body. He remembered sounds, sensations. The creek of him opening the wooden broken door with the broken latch, the tip-toeing of what felt like lead feet down the stairs and the beeps as he entered in the code to the main bunker door. He was only a few steps in when he felt a familiar prick in his neck. Of course, Mark had been waiting for him.

“No,” Nathan grogged, his legs becoming heavy. He tried to lift his arm, wanting to get out at least one shot before he lost consciousness but knew he wouldn’t have the strength to grip the gun. He managed to get out, “Mark, not Victoria, please…” before he went under.

Nathan was surprised that he woke up at all, wide awake on the Dark Room floor by the coffee table. His arms were bound behind his back, his legs duct-taped from thigh to ankle. He knew Mark was going to kill him and was surprised he wasn't already dead. He’d fucked up too much. He fucked up with Rachel. He fucked up with Kate. He wasn’t going to let Victoria get hurt, too. He was determined to make sure that didn’t happen.

Nathan did what he could to break free; fighting against the rope constraining his wrists only seemed to make them tighten. Trying to free his legs did nothing but tire him out. It took all the strength he had to sit up, observing, hoping to find something he could use to help Victoria. Mark was too smart, though. The only things on the coffee table, the only things he might be able to reach, was a cup filled with amber liquid and the remote to the stereo system. He was fucked. He struggled, and struggled, and struggled against the rope, his stomach churning and the bile rising up his throat as he remembered the first time Mark had used that rope on him. 

Things had been so different then. He thought that Mark had actually loved him. He knew nothing of the Dark Room’s true purpose. He was in love. Nothing mattered more than being with Mark, making Mark happy. Their own private studio seemed to be a brilliant idea. Mark could tutor him privately, so there would be no distractions and no witnesses if he and Mark wanted to be alone. He trusted Mark enough to willingly let Mark tie him up, to be completely helpless because Mark was his everything. Mark made him feel good, loved, adored, and safe. From the first moment Mark had expressed an interest in him, he’d really felt like his life was turning around. Finally, for the first time since Kristine had left years before, he felt hope for the future.

Then everything -like always- turned to shit.

Nathan screamed when he realized that he was no closer to freeing himself than when he’d started trying to unravel the knots in the rope. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been going at it but it was long enough that his fingers were cramping, unable to cooperate with what he was trying to do. He screamed until his throat was raw and the tears started pouring out. He had no way to save Victoria. He was failing, fucking up like he always did.

With the little strength he had left, he wiggled his way to Victoria. She was his best friend, probably the only person who ever really had loved him, the real him, and he had failed her. They were both going to die; the only thing he could hope for was that her death was quick and painless.

As he neared Victoria, seeing her dazed eyes, he pleaded, “Victoria, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” before sobbing incoherently again. He’d failed her, he’d failed his best friend, and they were both going to die. Everyone he’d ever loved either left him, betrayed him, or he ended up causing them to die.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Nathan heard the door open. Mark was furious, a string of expletives escaping his lips. It wasn’t long before Nathan felt kicks to his ribs for the second time that day.

“They didn’t take the fucking bait!” Mark screamed before a kick landed on Nathan’s face. He was dragged away from Victoria and onto the couch, Mark muttering about how he didn’t have enough time, how everything was so fucked.

“You ruined EVERYTHING!” Jefferson screamed before smacking Nathan’s face, making sure the hit landed where Nathan had already been bruised by Warren earlier in the day. “You stupid bitch! You left a trail of clues.” Mark put gloves on before grabbing a pocket knife. “I’m going to make sure you die slowly. It will look like you killed Victoria before taking your own life.”

Nathan struggled, still determined to do something, anything. There had to be a way to save Victoria. There just had to be some way. Even with his adrenalin pumping, he still had too little fight in him. He winced as the knife pierced his flesh, knowing that the police would do little investigating into his death since the cut was surrounded by numerous others. Scars. Scabs. Up and down both arms. It was deep, deeper than any cuts he’d ever made himself. He looked at Jefferson with wide eyes, pleading.

“Mark…”

Another slap. Nathan’s ears were ringing so loudly he’d barely heard Jefferson say, “I’m going to make you suffer.”

Nathan felt sick as Mark grabbed the camera, throwing Victoria around like a ragdoll and taking pictures. He tried to scream, say anything when Mark started removing Victoria’s leggings, but he was unable to do more than whisper, “Stop.” He didn’t know why his weakness surprised him. His ears never had stopped ringing, his vision blurring on the edges. He was clammy and dizzy and it took an exorbitant amount of effort to keep his eyes open.

The last thing Nathan heard before losing consciousness was the sound of a gun.

When Nathan woke up, he thought he was dead. The room was white; almost everything in the room was white and it was too bright. He turned toward a beeping sound, making out a green line. A cardiogram. His cardiogram, he realized as his vision started clearing and he noticed that there were many wires and such connecting him to the machine. There was a clear IV dripping something and he wondered if that was why he was largely numb.

“Nathan?” The voice seemed to echo and Nathan was all-too-aware of how dizzy he was. Nauseous. Gagging. Dry heaving until bile spewed from his mouth. Someone had been kind enough to catch it with a container so he didn’t spit up all over himself. He felt a hand on his back, stroking beneath his neck. A gentle touch. The bile bucket was taken away and a cup of water was brought to his lips. His eyes closed, drinking eagerly. His throat had never been that dry in his life and he couldn’t get enough water. He heard someone say his name again but the dizziness was starting to subside; he knew that voice. He could never forget that voice.

“Vic-” was all Nathan could get out before a coughing fit, wincing as the cough jousted his still-bruised ribs. “Victoria.” She was quite literally a sight for sore eyes. “Are we dead?”

Victoria smiled for the first time in days as she said, “No, Nate, we’re not.”

There was more he wanted to say, that he needed to say to his best friend but their conversation was interrupted by nurses and doctors. Victoria stayed. Nathan kept apologizing, telling Victoria that she didn’t need to stay in the hospital with him but she insisted she stay. She stayed late into the night, only leaving to eat and go to the bathroom. It was hours before they were alone again.

They were watching something on Netflix, eating hospital Jell-O Cups as Nathan finally got to say,”I’m so sorry Victoria.”

Victoria groaned, rolling her eyes as she told him to stop it. In the days between the Dark Room being discovered and Nathan waking up, Max had filled her in on everything and for once Nathan was happy that Max was such a nosey bitch.

“But Vicky, he could’ve killed you.” Nathan wouldn’t be able to function without his best friend; he’d taken her for granted and he almost lost her. Never again. “And it’s all my damn fault. Why are you here? You should fucking hate me.”

“You came to try to save me,” Victoria retorted. “Nate, you’re my best friend. Nothing could ever change that.”

He hoped she’d still feel that way after everything was revealed at the trial.


End file.
